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The Vatican Observatory is pleased to report that four asteroids have been named for important figures in the history of the Observatory, including Pope Leo XIII, who re-founded the Observatory in 1891.
During his visit to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy marking the 325th anniversary of its foundation, Pope Leo XIV signed the oversized reproduction of the commemorative stamp issued by the Postal and Philatelic Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate of the Vatican City State. The event took place on Monday afternoon, April 27, at the historic headquarters of the Pontifical Academy, Palazzo Severoli, located in Piazza della Minerva in Rome.
To celebrate 40 years of floral decorations donated to the Pope for the Easter celebrations, a Liriodendron tulipifera—known as the tulip tree—has been planted in the Vatican Gardens. The reference to the most famous flower cultivated in the Netherlands could not be missing for this new plant, which since Friday morning, April 24, has taken root.
The Postal and Philately Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate of the Vatican City State has produced a commemorative philatelic series, a folder, a commemorative envelope, and a special postmark dedicated to the 325th anniversary of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, a historic institution of the Holy See founded in 1701 with the mission of training diplomats destined to serve the Catholic Church throughout the world.
Recently, the Observatory successfully completed the robotization and automation of its Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), located on Mt. Graham in Arizona (USA). This was accomplished thanks to the generosity of the Thomas Lord Charitable Trust. It means, among other things, that astronomers can use the telescope remotely, without having to be up on the mountain. Vatican Observatory (VO) astronomers are now utilizing its exciting capabilities.
The Postal and Philatelic Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate of the Vatican City State has produced a special postmark to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis (2013–2025), which falls on April 21, 2026.
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